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NEW YORK: Scientists have discovered that kidney stones partially dissolve and repel as they form, which challenges the theories already used and raises the hope of a new treatment.
The results showed that kidney stones consist of calcium-rich layers that resemble other mineralizations of nature, such as those forming coral reefs.
This contradicts the widely held notion that kidney stones are homogeneous rocks that never dissolve and are different from all other rocks in nature, said lead author Bruce Fouke, professor of geology and microbiology at University of Illinois.
"Contrary to what doctors learn in their medical training, we have found that kidney stones undergo a dynamic process of growth and dissolution.
"This means that one day we will be able to intervene to completely dissolve the stones directly into the patient's kidney, which most doctors would say today is impossible," Fouke said. .
The research, published in the journal Scientific Reports, has shown that "kidney stones, instead of being worthless crystalline blocks, are a minute record of the health and functioning of a person's kidney".
"Before this study, it was thought that a kidney stone was only a crystal that was getting bigger with time," said Jessica Saw, of the Mayo Clinic.
"What we see here is that it's dynamic, the stone is growing and dissolving, it's very rich in components, it's very much alive," she added. .
For the study, the team used a new technology – the Airyscan super-resolution microscopy – which allowed them to visualize the samples at a resolution of 140 nanometers – extremely bright colored images of the whole thing. history of internal growth of kidney stones.
They discovered that kidney stones are constructed by alternating thin layers of organic matter and crystals, interspersed in places with prominent inner crystals.
In the early stages of development of kidney stones, crystals of a hydrated form of calcium oxalate adhere to each other, forming a large irregular bouquet.
Layers of organic matter and crystals accumulate above this inner core, creating an outer shell. The stones continue to dissolve and develop.
But many layers were broken, revealing that some of the stones – usually the inner dihydrate crystals – had dissolved. New crystals of a dehydrated form of calcium oxalate had begun to grow again in these voids.
Researchers and doctors who study and treat kidney disease will now have to rethink their basic assumptions, notes the study.
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